Record number of entries, exhibitors in Lebanon Area Fair poultry show thanks to backyard chicken farmers, 4-H club

Britany Gibble, 18, (left) , president of the Lebanon County 4-H poultry club, watches as Kaitlyn Flaherty, 13, (center) of Bernville and Alyssa Murphree (right) try their hand at judging poultry in the poultry barn at the Lebanon Area Fair on Tuesday, July 29 , 2014. Jeremy Long -- Lebanon Daily News

Of the 724 poultry entries at the Lebanon Area Fair, 49 of those belong to 18-year-old Brittany Gibble of West Cornwall Township.

She has 50 more at home.

The Lebanon County 4-H Poultry Club president says turkeys, geese, ducks and chickens have always been a part of her life growing up on her parents' three-acre property.

So it's not surprising that the fair doubled the number of exhibitors over last year and have a record-high number of birds entered.

And that is mostly due to the explosion of backyard chicken hobbyists in recent years throughout the country.

"I know a lot of people want backyard chickens for the eggs, but a lot of people just joined the poultry club recently because they wanted to show their birds," she said.

Whether it's for the eggs, the meat or just to enjoy their company, raising poultry is chic.

The allure of becoming a backyard poultry farmer is spreading across the United States.

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A recent consumer study by Tractor Supply Company substantiates the growing interest in chicken ownership. The company partnered with American Livestock Breeds Conservancy for the study and found that while only 3 percent of U.S. households currently own chickens, the level of interest in chicken ownership indicated among non-owners could potentially double ownership levels in the next 12 months.

Dana Lape, the chairman of the fair's poultry show, said the increase in entries and exhibitors started happening two years ago when the Lebanon County 4-H Poultry Club began. The club is now up to 46 members from seven counties, and half of the 76 exhibitors are children from the club.

The interest has grown so much at the fair that the poultry barn has overflowed to include two additional tents in the rear of the area.

"There's a lot of youngsters entered this year. There's more youngsters than adults, actually," said Lape, whose sons Dylan and Daulton are co-chairs of the poultry show and are also exhibitors.

Alyssa Murphree, 18, of Palmyra says she and her mother started keeping chickens last year in their backyard.

"She was the one who wanted the chickens. I said, well, maybe I'll get a couple. But, now I have more than she does," Murphree said as she held her golden sebright, one of her eight chickens. "So, I joined 4-H and learned a lot. It's really interesting."

Club members Amber Rexrode, 15 of Annville and Kaitlyn Flaherty, 13, of Bernville, Berks County, say while taking care of poultry is easy for them, it's more involved than people think. During club meetings, they learn how to wash chickens, judge eggs, fight disease and clean cages. Perhaps the most surprising element to the non-farmer is that chickens have personalities, just like cats and dogs.

"I enjoy all their personalities," Rexrode said.

Flaherty added, "All of mine act differently. Some are like babies, I have mean ones and some are just stupid."

Dana Lape, chairman of the poultry show, holds a Guinea chicken in the poultry barn at the Lebanon Area Fair on Tuesday, July 29 , 2014. Jeremy Long -- Lebanon Daily News